New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Darell, Darell 2024 (Sony Music Latin)

Just last year, Darell proposed that “everybody go to the discotek,” with his album. Today, he continues to fuel that motto with Darell 2024, a 15-track set powered by club-ready reggaetón anthems. Showcasing a mix of smooth Caribbean rhythfms and hypnotizing percussion-driven beats, the album provides a canvas for the Puerto Rican artist to show off why he’s a genre OG. Besides reggaetón, the sonically rich LP — which puts his signature deep, raspy vocals at the forefront — also takes inspiration from Afrobeats for tracks like “Como Vos,” “Real,” “Te Extraño” and “Olivia Con Pluto.” Meanwhile, Darell makes a case for why he’s one of the best rappers in the game, with songs like “Profugo” introducing a bold trap sound. Also included on the album are previously released hits “Lollipop (Remix)” with Ozuna and Maluma, “Por Ti Conocí El Amor” and “Lambo Sport” with Clean Bandit. — INGRID FAJARDO

Fariana, Underwater (La Commission LLC)

Nine years after her debut studio album, Fariana (formerly known as Farina) unleashes her sophomore album Underwater. In the 19-song set, the Colombian rapper submerges herself into different musical genres that have influenced her new era. While she still manages to captivate with her fierce rap bars and dynamic vocal range, sonically, she’s evolved and is more experimental than ever. She flirts with dancehall (“Booty Killa”), hip-hop (“Doggys”), afrobeat (“Pienso En TI”), electronic (“On Top of the World”), cumbia (“Mami Gantel”), reggaetón (“La Fotico”), dembow (“Margaret”), and merengue (“El Caballito”). Underwater also finds the Medellín-born artist collaborating with El Alfa, Sean Paul, Flo Rida, Omar Montes and Oro Solido, to name a few. But beyond its worldly beats, the album is a reflection of Fariana’s nearly 20-year trajectory. “I’ve learned to dive into my own world and I’ve understood that even under pressure, I always find a way to do it my way and be a winner. That’s what this album is,” she expresses in a press statement. — JESSICA ROIZ

Duplat & Manuel Medrano “Fresa” (M3 Records)

Duplat and Manuel Medrano’s “Fresa” is a delightful mix of soul pop with a retro feel that recalls the perfect music for a romantic comedy soundtrack. The trumpet and brass arrangements give it an almost classic, almost timeless feel that transports you to another era. When Medrano’s deep voice comes in on the second verse, his deep timbre cuts through the music, merging perfectly with the funky drum beat and guitar riffs. The saxophone solo in the bridge is captivating, and the soulful piano adds an emotional touch that elevates the song. “Fresa,” which could refer to a conceited woman, is certainly a gem for lovers of nostalgic sounds with a modern twist. — LUISA CALLE

Bad Bunny, “Una Velita” (Rimas Enertainment)

Bad Bunny hadn’t released new music since his October set Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va Pasar Mañana, but shedding a spotlight on the continued plight of his fellow Puerto Ricans — who were devastated by Hurricane Maria exactly seven years ago — seemed like the perfect moment to break his silence. With “Una Velita,” the global hit-maker doubles down on his efforts to call out the inaction of the island’s local government as Puerto Rico continues to deal with the aftermath of the catastrophic Category 5 storm, which not only left thousands dead but also weakened the already frail power grid. “Obviously the light will go out, God knows if it’ll come back,” he sings in Spanish over a hypnotizing folkloric beat that grows with intensity. “There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that.” The track is produced by Tainy and La Paciencia. — GRISELDA FLORES

Darumas, “Francotirador” (Sony Music Latin)

On the heels of receiving a Latin Grammy nomination for best new artist — as predicted by Billboard — Darumas released “Francotirador,” or “sniper” in English, the Latin pop-funk band’s first single since its May debut album. The all-female trio — comprised of Aldana Aguirre, Ceci León and Vedala Vilmond — sings about being resilient and “bulletproof” over a funky rhythm driven by electric guitar and bass. “I fell, I stood up, and I silenced those who never believed/ They think I’m made of glass, but it made me harder than metal,” Vilmond sings. “Today nothing breaks my heart because I have it armored. I’m like a sniper: I never miss where I aim.” The track can empower anyone who comes across it. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Manu Chao, Viva Tu (Radio Bemba)

After a 17-year hiatus playfully referred to as his “Desaparecido” phase — a nod to his iconic 1998 song — Manu Chao returns with his first solo album since La Radiolina, titled Viva Tu. This LP weaves nostalgic acoustic melodies with a rich palette of global languages. Sung in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English, it unfolds like a love letter to his international fans, packed with earwormy guitar melodies, samples and dazzling embellishments in songs like “La Couleur de Temps” and the rumba-infused title track.

Of the 13 songs, the harmonica-laced “Heaven’s Bad Day” stands out as a delightful surprise, featuring country legend Willie Nelson, the only guest on the album. Another track, “La Colilla,” revisits the lively acoustic guitar sounds of 2007’s “Me Llaman Calle,” showcasing Chao’s ability to recycle rhythms and beats in an exhilarating way.

The Spanish-French artist’s hands-on approach to writing and producing every song is notable, particularly in today’s collaboration-heavy music industry. This autonomy not only adds authenticity but also imbues his work with a craftsman’s pride, making Viva Tu an introspective and joyous personal statement. With this latest work, Chao’s unparalleled artistry cements his timeless appeal across diverse musical genres in a sound that is uniquely his own. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:

Sean “Diddy” Combs is not in any danger of self-harm despite being placed on a suicide watch as he awaits trial, his representatives tell Billboard.

“Mr. Combs is strong, healthy and focused on his defense,” a spokesperson for the music mogul explains. “He is committed to fighting this case and has full confidence in both his legal team and the truth.”

The decision to put Diddy on suicide watch is “procedural with high-profile clients,” the insider told NBC News. Sources also told People that the move was a preventative measure.

Diddy was arrested Monday (Sept. 16) in New York City, and Manhattan federal prosecutors have since unveiled the substance of their case against Combs — accusing him of operating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”

He was denied bail at his Sept. 17 arraignment, and is currently facing up to life in prison for three felony charges. The next step for Combs will be an initial pretrial conference next week before Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., the federal district judge who will oversee his trial.

In a video obtained by CNN earlier this year and dated March 5, 2016, Combs appears to shove his longtime former partner, Cassie Ventura, to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times while she lies on the ground and drag her down a hallway. The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed against Diddy in November.

Ventura was the first to accuse Diddy of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November in which attorneys for Cassie claimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The case was soon settled, but Combs was then sued by multiple other women who claimed they were sexually abused by the hip-hop mogul.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call the confidential National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. 

There are a lot of recognizable names on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart: Green Day, Jack White and Linkin Park are all in the top 10, to name a few. But this week, one of the most successful bands in the chart’s history spends a second week at No. 1: Cage The Elephant, whose latest single “Rainbow” becomes their 12th leader on the chart, tying Linkin Park and the Foo Fighters for the third-most all time.

That’s a significant milestone for both the band and its label, RCA Records. But RCA’s success atop Alternative Airplay goes deeper, and more unconventional, this week: Myles Smith’s breakout single “Stargazing” reaches No. 2 on the chart, giving the label the top two songs there for the week. And Smith’s achievement is all the more remarkable because the song is his first charting hit in the U.S., a relative rarity for an artist making waves at alternative. And that one-two punch success helps RCA’s senior vp of pop/rock promotion Gary Gorman earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Gorman explains the strategies that helped RCA hit those marks, the differences between veteran acts and new artists at alternative radio and how the promotions job has changed over the course of his extensive career. “The information and technology we have now vs. 15 years ago is staggering and allows us to be more strategic than ever,” Gorman says. “The bones of this job are, however, still the same. I expect that to continue, as long as music programing at radio is still editorialized.”

This week, Cage The Elephant spent its second week at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay with “Rainbow,” tied with Foo Fighters and Linkin Park for third-most all time, with 12 No. 1s. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?

Cage The Elephant is a Goldilocks band for the alternative format. Their history of No. 1 songs and alternative chart success coming into the Neon Pill album cycle was undeniable. Not to mention, for my money, they are one of the most consistently ferocious live bands in the space. That being said, multiple No. 1s from any campaign are promised to no one, so a lot of the strategy here lies in the long tail of the promotional campaign and how to outline a comprehensive 24-plus-month plan. Our partners at Q Prime are an incredible asset and invaluable in all collective decisions from the timing, touring, artist participation and information sharing. One of the hardest and most discussed decisions wound up being about which single to lead with. Impacting the darker “Neon Pill” first into the lighter “Rainbow” still rings true for me.

With Myles Smith’s “Stargazing” at No. 2, RCA has both of the top two slots on the chart, with two vastly different songs. What strategy goes into making that happen?

So wildly different — it’s such an exciting moment. Cage is an established band at the format, and it had been many years since new Cage music, so the table was set and the anticipation was high. Myles, on the other hand, was a virtual unknown to alternative radio. As a result, the set up was more “door to door” as we sought early champions. A handful of alternative major-market programmers led the way, early, on the backs of a huge streaming story and we were off to the races. We couldn’t have achieved this level of success on this campaign without the early belief from those first alternative stations. Those folks have all my gratitude.

The upper tier of the Alternative Airplay chart is full of artists who have had careers stretching back 10 years or more — Cage, White, The Offspring, Linkin Park, Green Day — but Myles is a much newer artist, with “Stargazing” being his first charting hit in the U.S. How hard is it to break a new artist on alternative radio these days?

As Public Enemy once said, harder than you think. Alternative radio has always played a wide variety of new musical styles, but ultimately, it’s their gold libraries that hold everything together. One can say many of the most successful new songs at alternative have “connective tissue” sonically to a station’s music library. With the nostalgic feels coming out of the pandemic, heritage artists releasing new music have been a hot ticket item for many programmers, making shots on new artists even tougher. That being said, there certainly have been some brand-new artists with terrific runs at alternative in the last year. Myles Smith has been a triple threat with “Stargazing”: a sonic fit, incredible streaming and early power-worthy research.

On the flip side, why is the format so friendly to artists with long careers, when so much of pop radio is driven by new hits and new artists?

How much time do you have? Alternative radio today has remained true to their explosive origins, continuing to support a larger library of songs and artists dating back to the format’s inception. As a result, these stations tend to have a slightly older audience than pop, along with fewer current tracks in rotation at a given time. As mentioned, the wave of historic artists releasing new music has created quite a dilemma. Given the limited space for current music, it would seem many programmers have opted to lean into the artists they know have worked in the past. The irony, of course, is that we have seen some of the biggest researching songs of the year come from either new or unexpected artists at this format, with Myles Smith being a prime example.

How has radio promotion evolved over the course of your career?

The information and technology we have now vs. 15 years ago is staggering and allows us to be more strategic than ever. The bones of this job are, however, still the same. I expect that to continue, as long as music programing at radio is still editorialized. I learned a long time ago that the one constant in this business is change. Having a crackerjack team here at RCA across all formats, including the promo leadership from Keith Rothschild and Sam Selolwane, allows us to face new challenges and adopt new strategies while remaining focused and unrelenting in the amplification of our artists across the radio platform.

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Are you a fan of sci-fi horror? Get ready to embrace the spooky season with this M3GAN Head Knocker Bobblehead.

Available for pre-order for just $32.99 at Entertainment Earth, the 7 1/2-inch collectible features the robotic doll from the hit horror film M3GAN, which grossed $181 million worldwide.

For those looking for an alternative M3GAN collectible, consider adding the M3GAN Bobbling Figurine. This collectible, available for pre-order on Amazon and Target, includes some of the doll’s iconic lines from the film, and is set to be released on Oct. 22.

If you were on TikTok when this movie came out in theaters last year, you remember the doll’s viral dance. Whether you’re fan of the film or just love creepy collectibles, this bobblehead makes a great addition to your spooky collection for Halloween. Its creepy aesthetic will instantly add a spooky touch to any room or Halloween party.

The Bobbling Figurine also comes with a 32-page mini book with five of the doll’s “iconic quotes” from the movie. All you need to do is press the button and M3GAN will say her lines. This feature adds another level of creepiness, so if you are looking to up the spooky element, this is definitely a great one to add into the mix. With this 2-in-1 special, you’ll be able to snag to items of your favorite character. This is also a great gift for all horror fans.

For more product recommendations, check out Lip Smacker Halloween Lip Balms, this 13-Foot LED Jack Skellington and the best merch inspired by Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.